Asia
Sony to sell office buildings in Tokyo, New York
January 10, 2013 11:31 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSony Corp. plans to sell its office buildings in Tokyo and New York to improve its financial standing, company sources said Thursday. Potential buyers for the buildings in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward and New York's Manhattan include an investment fund and a real estate company, the sources said.
Japanese firms exhibit high-end TVs at U.S. electronics show
January 9, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapanese electronics firms are exhibiting high-end televisions with better profitability at the world's top electronics show which started in the United States on Tuesday, aiming to shore up their slumping operations amid fierce price competition especially for smaller models.
Panasonic update
January 9, 2013 10:02 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPanasonic Corp. President Kazuhiro Tsuga said Tuesday his company has concluded business alliances with General Motors Co. and IBM Corp. as he outlined its strategy to turn itself around by focusing on services for major global enterprises.
Sharp to withdraw from solar power battery business in Italy
January 3, 2013 9:56 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsStruggling Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. is considering pulling out of the solar power battery business in Italy to streamline its operations amid slumping demand in Europe, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
Nissan hopes for better Japan-China relations
January 3, 2013 9:52 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn expressed hope that the recent change in leadership in both Japan and China will bring about an improvement in strained bilateral economic relations and a recovery of auto sales in China.
LG beats rivals in race to sell new OLED TVs as it starts taking South Korean orders
January 2, 2013 10:37 am | by YOUKYUNG LEE AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsLG Electronics Inc. started taking pre-orders on Wednesday for the world's first big TVs that use an advanced display technology promising startlingly clear images on wafer-thin screens. The South Korean company said the 55-inch TVs, which use a technology called "OLED"
Foxconn invests $200M in U.S. camera maker
December 21, 2012 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHon Hai Precision Industry Co., the Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturer known as Foxconn, is buying an 8.88 percent stake in Woodman Labs Inc., the maker of the GoPro line of camcorders for surfing and other sports, for $200 million.
Yamaha to set up sales company in Myanmar
December 21, 2012 9:36 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsYamaha Motor Co. will set up a company in Myanmar soon to sell its motorbikes there, president Hiroyuki Yanagi said Friday, amid expectations for the country's strong economic growth. "Myanmar is a country very friendly to Japan and we think it is a suitable place to promote Japanese brands," Yanagi said during an interview with Kyodo News.
China tells U.S. it will improve intellectual property protection
December 20, 2012 12:13 pm | News | CommentsChina told U.S. trade negotiators in Washington on Wednesday that Beijing would do more to protect intellectual property rights and combat piracy by promoting the use of legal software, China's commerce minister told reporters.
European Commission wades into global tech patents war
December 20, 2012 12:10 pm | by Ethan Bilby, Reuters | News | CommentsEU regulators are poised to accuse Samsung of breaking competition rules in filing patent lawsuits against rival Apple, in the EU's first formal challenge to the consumer electronic industry's patent wars. "We will issue a statement of objections very soon," the European Union's competition chief Joaquin Almunia said on Thursday, referring to the Commission's charge sheet.
Taiwanese exec guilty of LCD screen price fixing
December 19, 2012 11:38 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal jury in San Francisco has convicted a former executive at a Taiwanese company of participating in a global LCD screen price-fixing conspiracy. The U.S. Department of Justice says Shiu Lung Leung could face up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for his role in illegally fixing computer screen prices in the U.S.
Fingerprint Cards Wins Third Design Award in Japan
December 18, 2012 11:37 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFingerprint Cards has received its third design win for its swipe sensor technology from one of Japan’s leading and most innovative mobile phone manufacturers. The first model launch is scheduled for Q3 2013. Due to the competitive situation, the mobile phone manufacturer wants to remain anonymous...
Fuji Xerox expands cloud service to Australia, Singapore
December 18, 2012 11:22 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFuji Xerox Co. launched Tuesday a cloud computing business communication support service in Australia and Singapore, the company said. The service, which was available only in Japan, facilitates online communications inside a company as well as interaction between different firms, according to Fuji Xerox.
Panasonic starts solar panel production in Malaysia
December 13, 2012 11:29 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPanasonic Corp. started manufacturing solar panels Thursday at a newly built plant in Malaysia, boosting the global production capacity of its cutting-edge solar batteries to 900 megawatts per year from the current 600 megawatts.
Hitachi holds 1st board meeting in India
December 13, 2012 11:24 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHitachi Ltd. on Thursday held a board of directors' meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi, the first time it has held such a meeting outside Japan since the company's founding in 1910. All 13 company executives including Chairman Takashi Kawamura and President Hiroaki Nakanishi attended the meeting.
Regulatory body: Radiation spread projection full of errors
December 13, 2012 11:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapan's nuclear regulatory authority said Thursday it found errors in its radiation spread projections in the event of a severe accident for all the country's nuclear power plants after thoroughly reviewing its previous already mistake-plagued results.
Yamada Denki acquisition of Best Denki
December 13, 2012 11:02 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsYamada Denki Co. said Thursday it has completed a deal to make smaller rival Best Denki Co. a subsidiary of the top home electronics retailer. Yamada Denki, previously the second-largest shareholder in Best Denki after Bic Camera Inc., spent approximately 12.12 billion yen to raise its stake in Best Denki to 51.2 percent...
Golf: Panasonic ends sponsorship deal with Ishikawa
December 13, 2012 10:57 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsElectronics giant Panasonic announced Thursday that it will not renew its sponsorship contract with golfer Ryo Ishikawa when the deal expires next January. The company also said 2013 will be the last year of its sponsorship of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open.
Blue Earth and Hareon Solar Technology develop solar project in Hawaii
December 12, 2012 12:05 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBlue Earth, Inc. (OTCQB: BBLU) a renewable energy and energy efficiency services company, announced today that it signed a joint development agreement with Hareon Solar Technology Co., Ltd ("Hareon Solar") to jointly fund and develop a 497 KW ground mounted solar PV system, the "Waianae Project," on the island of Oahu, with Hareon being the controlling member.
Mitsumi chooses MxL683 for Time-Shifting TVs
December 12, 2012 11:23 am | by MaxLinear | News | CommentsMaxLinear Inc., a leading provider of integrated radio frequency and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communications applications, announced today that Mitsumi Corp. has started mass production shipments of its latest generation of six-channel “time shift” TV network interface modules for use in Japanese televisions based on MaxLinear’s MxL683.
Panasonic to sell Sanyo's digital camera division
December 12, 2012 11:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPanasonic Corp. is in final talks to sell the digital camera division of its subsidiary Sanyo Electric Co. to Japanese investment fund Advantage Partners LLP, industry sources said Wednesday. The move comes as the division's earnings have deteriorated on the diffusion of smartphones...
North Korea's rocket victory has deep consequences
December 12, 2012 10:54 am | by PETER ENAV, Associated Press | News | CommentsNorth Korea says it wanted a satellite to help track the weather and send back data. But the United States, South Korea and their allies see the Unha-3 rocket that launched it as a potential weapon, theoretically capable of delivering high-impact munitions as far as California...
Merging nuclear business with Hitachi possible
December 11, 2012 10:45 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe president of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. showed a positive attitude Tuesday about integrating the company's nuclear power business with that of Hitachi Ltd., after the two firms last month announced a merger of their thermal power generation business.
Renesas to receive up to 200 bil. yen bailout
December 10, 2012 10:47 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsStruggling Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics Corp. said Monday it will receive up to 200 billion yen in aid from a government-backed fund and private-sector firms to turn its faltering business around.
Nintendo's new Wii U game console hits shelves in Japan
December 10, 2012 10:40 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNintendo Co. on Saturday launched its new Wii U game console in Japan, aiming to stage a comeback in a gaming market characterized by the rapid growth of mobile phone-based social games. With the launch of the successor to its video game console Wii launched in 2006, the Japanese game console and software maker seeks to turn its business around.
